A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 eBook

As the directors of the Dutch East-India Company were
still anxious to make trial of the route to India
by the Straits of Magellan, they appointed George
Spilberg, or Spilbergen, to make this attempt in 1614,
as admiral of six ships, the Great Sun, the Full Moon,
the Huntsman, and a yacht called the Sea-mew, all
belonging to Amsterdam, with the Eolus of Zealand,
and the Morning-star belonging to Rotterdam. Spilbergen
was a person of established reputation for knowledge
and experience, and was allowed to chuse most of his
officers. The ships were all equipped in the
best possible manner, and were ready a little after
Midsummer; but as the admiral was of opinion that
they would arrive in the Straits of Magellan at an
improper season, if they sailed so early, the directors
thought proper to postpone the commencement of the
voyage till the month of August.

[Footnote 92: Harris, I. 44. Callender,
II. 191.]

The fleet sailed accordingly from the Texel on the
8th of August, 1614, with a strong gale at S.E.
Without any remarkable accident, except several severe
storms, they reached the latitude of Madeira on the
3d October. Proceeding thence by the Canaries,
they lost sight of these islands on the 10th, and
came in view of Brava and Fogo, two of the Cape de
Verd islands, on the 23d. Having happily passed
the Abrolhos, dangerous shoals running far
out to sea, on the 9th December, they discovered the
coast of Brazil on the 12th of that month. On
the 19th they were off the bay of Rio de Janeiro;
and on the morning of the 20th they anchored in the
road of Ilas Grandes, between two large fine
islands covered with trees, in thirteen fathoms water.
Next day they anchored at another island, about half
a league distant, where they caught good store of
fish, besides many crocodiles or alligators, each
about the length of a man. They anchored behind
another island on the 23d, where they found two small
huts, and a heap of human bones on a rock. Here
they set up tents on shore for their sick, which were
all landed that night, under the protection of three
distinct guards of soldiers, lest they might be attacked
by the Portuguese, who were at no great distance.

The 28th, the boats were sent for wood and fresh water
to a river about two leagues from where the ships
lay, and about noon next day brought off as much as
they could carry. They went back for a farther
supply, and were obliged to remain on shore all night,
as their boats got aground with the ebb-tide.
On getting to the ships on the 29th, they reported,
that they had heard a confused sound of voices, as
of many people, in the woods. The 30th, three
boats were sent again to the watering-place, with
nine or ten soldiers to protect the seamen when on
shore. Shortly after, being out of sight of the
fleet, several cannon-shot were heard from the Huntsman,
which had been stationed to command the watering-place,
on which the admiral sent three armed boats to see